Ridgefield, Staples set to do battle again

Updated 5:31 pm, Thursday, October 5, 2017

Staples running back #10 Harris Levi runs the ball as the Staples High School football team take on Brien McMahon High School Saturday, September 23, 2017, in Norwalk, Conn.

Staples running back #10 Harris Levi runs the ball as the Staples High School football team take on Brien McMahon High School Saturday, September 23, 2017, in Norwalk, Conn.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media

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Ridgefield High School quarterback Gregory Gatto fires a pass in a game against Staples High School, played at Ridgefield. Friday, Oct. 21, 2016

Ridgefield High School quarterback Gregory Gatto fires a pass in a game against Staples High School, played at Ridgefield. Friday, Oct. 21, 2016

Photo: Scott Mullin / For Hearst Connecticut Media

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Staples #16 Daniel Thompson runs for a touchdown as the Staples High School football team take on Brien McMahon High School Saturday, September 23, 2017, in Norwalk, Conn.

Staples #16 Daniel Thompson runs for a touchdown as the Staples High School football team take on Brien McMahon High School Saturday, September 23, 2017, in Norwalk, Conn.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media

Ridgefield, Staples set to do battle again

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WESTPORT — The Ridgefield and Staples football teams headed in completely different directions after their meeting last October in Tiger Hollow.

The Tigers won that meeting 42-7 and ran the table all the way until falling to Darien in the Class LL championship game. The Wreckers, on the other hand, fell off a cliff and dropped their last three games.

Friday’s rematch carries a significant amount of weight as 2-1 Ridgefield and 3-0 Staples have hopes of reaching the state playoffs. Both squads are coming off a bye week, giving them even more time to draw up the perfect combinations to claim a crucial win in Westport.

“Things went pretty well for us after (beating Staples),” Tigers coach Kevin Callahan said. “We kept getting better as a team. I’m not sure if it will be like that this year; I don’t think whoever loses this game is done.”

The lone test for either team to date came in the season opener for Ridgefield, which fell 38-12 to Darien. The Tigers surrendered two defensive touchdowns to go along with some kicking woes, inflating the score to a degree. The Tigers are anticipating a close game against Staples; Callahan said the team practiced two-minute drill situations leading up to the game.

Ridgefield quarterback Greg Gatto has a pair of receiving targets in Matt Lombardo and Jackson Mitchell to help move the chains. Callahan noted the Tigers are more likely to grind out drives than hit the big plays that doomed the Wreckers a year ago.

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RIDGEFIELD TIGERS (2-1) AT STAPLES WRECKERS (3-0)

When/Where: Friday at Wreckers Stadium, 7 p.m.

Player to watch, Ridgefield: WR Jackson Mitchell. The Tigers beat the Wreckers with big plays in the air in 2015; Mitchell is a similar threat who can burn Staples if not properly monitored.

Player to watch,Staples: WR/S Ben Pearl: Staples was susceptible to downfield passing in most of its losses a year ago; Pearl is the last line of defense who will be asked to make plays against the run and the pass.

Matchup to watch: Staples’ offensive line vs. Ridgefield’s defensive line. If the Wreckers can steadily move the chains on the ground behind Harris Levi — who is averaging 7.4 yards per carry through three games — their chances of prevailing increase significantly. Ridgefield defensive tackle Noah Isaacson has been a force through three games and could wreck those plans.

Outlook: This has all the makings of a final-possession barnburner, as it was in 2015 when Ridgefield won 31-27. The Wreckers appear stronger than last year and both teams have handled the bottom teams in the conference with ease. Wreckers kicker Ben van der Merwe or Ridgefield’s Harry Woodger could be a weapon down the stretch.

“Our offense can put drives together,” Callahan said. “Last year Shane Palmer played the game of his life against Staples. I’m not sure if we have anyone quite as dynamic to do that this year, so we will have to sustain drives to stay in it.”

Staples senior quarterback Danny Thompson has shown signs of improvement in his first full season as starter under center as Staples tries with all its might to become a more balanced unit. Thompson’s three seasons on varsity have corresponded with the Wreckers transitioning from a purely ground attack to one trying to beat the opposition through the air.

“He’s done a tremendous job,” Wreckers coach Marce Petroccio said. “He’s a leader and a student of the game; he’s made our passing game unbelievable. You can’t just focus on the run anymore.”

Staples took another step in the offseason to adjust the pass game, and early returns are positive.

“We didn’t really like what we were doing,” Petroccio said. “It was about getting kids in the right spots and we feel we got kids in the right spots now to have some success. So far, so good.”

So far this season, Thompson is 30 for 38 for 435 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Staples is still “Running Back U,” as Harris Levi has rushed for 332 yards through three games. Thompson has added 120 yards on the ground as well.

“The fact that we’ve been able to throw and run has made a huge difference,” Thompson said. “We haven’t been able to throw the ball that well here in a while, and I think with the receivers we have, the offensive line and the coaching, I think we have a pretty good passing game.”

With games against Darien, St. Joseph and Greenwich left on the schedule, a win for Staples would aid their playoff charge.

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“You’re facing like Ridgefield High School, who was in a state championship with a great run and beat a bunch of SCC teams,” Petroccio said. “That’s a good football team and program; if we can somehow find a way to win, it would say a lot for us and what we’ve done.”